This is it, the only image you need to see from Budapest tonight. 16 years of state capture, corruption, misuse of public funds and the gradual erosion of the rule of law is over. Accountability stats tomorrow. Good morning Europe Hungary is back! #HungarianElection2026

🇭🇺🗳️#HungarianElections THREAD 1/2 3:00 pm turnout: 66% Turnout is already close—four hours before polls close—to where it ended in 2018 and 2022. I have already written about the structural impact of high turnout, so here is a different aspect.

Reposting this thread for one last time. Early morning participation is already at record high, on track for a record turnout. Happy voting! 🇭🇺

🇭🇺Hungary’s turnout is breaking records: 16.89% by 9am (2022: 10.31%). Areas where the opposition Tisza party did well in last year’s EP vote are overperforming. Urban, strongly anti-Orbán voters—who tend to vote later—are just starting to head to the polls. Follow me for #HungaryElection updates!

#HungarianElection2026: Good morning from Budapest. Early turnout is notably strong: in the first hour of voting (by 7am) participation reached 3.46%. Nearly double the 1.8% recorded at the same time four years ago. On this trajectory, it’s not an especially encouraging signal for Fidesz’s campaign.

For the first time in more than a decade, real political change in #Hungary no longer feels out of reach. The sense of inevitability that has defined Viktor Orbán’s rule, his image as an unchallengeable political force, appears to be cracking. (🧵/1) english.istinomer.rs/analyses/the...

💥 A bipartisan pair of US senators are set to introduce legislation calling for sanctions to be imposed on senior Hungarian officials involved in obstructing aid to Ukraine. Senators Shaheen (D-NH) and Tillis (R-NC) are set to introduce the legislation this week.

‘Szíjjartó, the foreign minister, made regular phone calls during breaks at EU meetings to provide his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, with “live reports on what’s been discussed” and possible solutions, one of the European security officials said.’ www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/0...

Quite a picture from AP: Viktor Orbán watches from outside the main table as Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks to EU leaders via video link.

Hungary’s Viktor Orbán has faced “very, very harsh” criticism at the European Council, Sweden’s PM Ulf Kristersson said. It’s a level of condemnation he says he has never heard at an EU summit before. Follow our live blog: www.politico.eu/article/make...

EXCLUSIVE: Slovenia’s PM Robert Golob has urged European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to investigate accusations that Israeli spy firm Black Cube interfered in the country’s election campaign, according to a letter we obtained.

Izraelski obveščevalci v Sloveniji Predstavnika največje zasebne obveščevalne agencije na svetu, izraelske družbe Black Cube, sta konec decembra pristala v Ljubljani in se sestala z Janezom Janšo. Piše Borut Mekina, več na www.mladina.si ‼️

Less than a month to the 🇭🇺 parliamentary elections. The campaign is brutal. The stakes historic. And yet, I can’t shake one feeling: hope. For the first time since 2010, real change no longer feels impossible in 🇭🇺. Maybe this is my generation’s 'most vagy soha' moment. 1/🧵

As @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu arrives in Belgrade tomorrow, every word, handshake, and photo with those in power will be watched closely by students and 🇷🇸 citizens who, for 11 months, have faced violence while fighting for fundamental rights and democracy. It's time for🇪🇺 to choose a side!

🚨 Over the past week, the situation in #Serbia has worsened dramatically. Peaceful protests are being met with violence, intimidation, and propaganda. Citizens, including minors, are facing brutal treatment at the hands of the state. #SerbiaProtests (🧵/1)

Thrilled to be part of Thursday’s @humanrightsfirst.org panel (5pm CET / 11am EST) alongside some fantastic people. We’ll be covering corruption, human rights, and sanctions, and what recent changes mean for accountability. It’s August, but this promises to be great summer brain food. Join us!

So, the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), the direct successor to the Soviet-era KGB, has officially started meddling in next year’s Hungarian elections. They issued a statement claiming the 🇪🇺 Commission is pushing for 'regime change in Budapest.' That’s… wild. tinyurl.com/46xsjx87 🧵/1

🚧 Protests in Serbia: since 29 June, until today, @crta.bsky.social has recorded more than 500 arrests at largely peaceful protests and blockades across 🇷🇸. Most of those arrested have been released just hours after they were detained, with misdemeanor charges for traffic violations. (1/🧵)

📋⚠️ Updates from #Serbia: in #Užice (SW Serbia), 7 citizens were detained for breaking through a 🚔 cordon during a highway blockade. bit.ly/44oyx2t In response, citizens began blocking the local courthouse, demanding that all detainees be released - otherwise they'll escalate protests. (1/🧵)

Stop the police violence and repression of students and ordinary Serb citizens. #blokada #Serbiaprotests

#Belgrade right now: citizens are blocking main roads, intersections and bridges in a response to yesterday’s police brutality and mass arrests of students. Let the civil disobedience commence. Blokada, blokada. 🤍🇷🇸

Budapest Pride 🏳️‍🌈🇭🇺 the ban backfired! Peaceful, safe, happy and huge! Organisers estimate a crowd over 200,000 people.

The energy at #BudapestPride felt like something from the days of the regime change in the 90s, except most of the crowd had been just kids back then. Yesterday they stood united, joyful, and defiant. It wasn’t just a celebration: it was a statement of resistance. . hvg.hu/360/20250628...

#REMprocess in 🇷🇸: last week a powerful coalition of 78 official nominators and 16 candidates has formally withdrawn from Serbia’s selection process for the Council of the Regulatory Body for Electronic Media (also known as REM).

I gave an extensive interview about the politics and legal aspects of EU accession of Ukraine, focusing specifically on rule of law and fundamental rights issues. “The requirements for UA when joining the EU will be stricter than those that applied to Poland and Hungary” zmina.info/articles/dzh...

Dejan Ilić – Čudo se dogodilo Kao čudo pojavio se Raša Nedeljkov u nedelju uveče, pošto se završilo glasanje i rekao – istinu. I znao je da bi istina mogla skupo da ga košta, i njega i njegovu organizaciju CRTA.

🚨🚨 Hungary "has significantly deviated from the model of a constitutional democracy" according to EU Court's advocate general. The AG slams Hungary's anti-LGBT law in her opinion in Commission v Hungary (’Values of the European Union’).

A president or two might lie on a daily basis, but numbers don’t. 🇪🇺

The vast majority of protesters - and of Serbian society - want a European path. Over the past months, they’ve looked to Brussels, not to other capitals in the East. Their message is simple: they want democracy, rule of law, and a future rooted in freedom and Europe. 👇

As HRVP Kaja Kallas visits Belgrade today, it’s time to speak plainly about what’s unfolding in Serbia. Student-led protests have filled the streets for months, defying repression and resisting the government’s efforts to crush dissent.

In Belgrade, I talked to engaged members of youth organisations and civil society. I heard their call and their aspirations — for fairness, for accountability. So that Serbia can fulfil its full potential. Their energy is needed to find a way forward.

💥🇷🇺 NEW INVESTIGATION: Under the banner of human rights work, a state-backed Russian organization has spent years advancing the Kremlin’s geopolitical agenda across the world — including by funding the legal defense of alleged spies, criminals, and propagandists. @occrp.org #dearcompatriots

📍 If you are in Brussels next Tuesday, do not miss the launch of #IDEES Magazine's latest issue dedicated to the Western Balkans. A discussion on geopolitics, enlargement and illiberalism with @isabelleioannides.bsky.social, Berta López Domènech (EPC) & myself. 🔗 Register here lnkd.in/emc-fe8G

@rasaned.bsky.social @crta.bsky.social @eucrta.bsky.social

@crta.bsky.social @eucrta.bsky.social

On April 25, students from Novi Sad started running towards Brussels to raise awareness and tonight they will finally arrive to Brussels. Come and join us and celebrate their struggle and ongoing fight towards democracy and European values in Serbia. #trkadoBrisela 🇷🇸

No more business as usual! Siding with Vladimir Putin harms Serbia, the region, and the entire enlargement process. @kajakallas.bsky.social, @martakos.ec.europa.eu, @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu - you said there would be consequences. So act now! * @kvanbrempt.bsky.social Tonino Picula

📢 The student-led protests in Serbia – reshaping the political landscape 🗓️ Monday, 12 May 2025 Join us for a Policy Dialogue on Serbia’s democratic future, #EUenlargement strategy and regional stability. @crta.bsky.social @eucrta.bsky.social Register👇 www.epc.eu/en/events/Th...

I visited Serbia last week to hear directly from the 🇷🇸 people how we can find a way out of the current political stalemate. All sides need to make an effort now to rebuild trust and to allow Serbia to move forward on its 🇪🇺 path. You can count on me 🔗 www.emins.org/en/when-euro...

Not surprised that it turns out Rogán’s removal from the OFAC list is illegal. According to Senators @shaheen.senate.gov and @warren.senate.gov this wasn’t just a whopsie-daisy — it was a direct violation of U.S. sanctions law. But sure, let’s keep pretending this is all normal.

[email protected] & @transparencyusa.bsky.social condemn the Trump admin for lifting Global Magnitsky sanctions on sr Hungarian official Antal Rogán. This delisting raises grave concerns that the US is undermining an important corruption accountability tool. humanrightsfirst.org/library/huma...

We described the change as a means of “legislating fear” in the EU country. “These laws represent a significant escalation in the government’s efforts to suppress dissent, weaken human rights protection and consolidate its grip on power." www.theguardian.com/world/2025/a...

I find the reporting and conversation around the latest changes in Hungary frustrating. For one, there is a mixup of getting rid of unanimity and sanctioning Hungary for cracking down on rights & freedoms here. Art 7 is about the latter www.politico.eu/article/eu-c...

‼️Last December, I bid farewell to my Brussels reporting with a joint interview with 3 MEPs who have most compellingly documented the dismantling of the rule of law in Hungary, Rui Tavares, Judith Sargentini & Gwendoline Delbos-Corfield. A short version of it was published in the🇭🇺daily Népszava 2/1

🗳️🇭🇺With every credible poll showing Viktor Orbán’s ruling Fidesz far behind Péter Magyar’s TISZA party, talk in Hungary is shifting to whether Orbán might try to jail or ban his rival—à la Turkey. The real question now: will Hungary have free and fair elections in 2026? And would Orbán give up power?

The EU is facing an “Orbán problem”. That much is clear. LUKE DIMITRIOS SPIEKER argues that the Commission should submit a new proposal under Article 7(2) TEU focusing on breaches of solidarity and threats to the Union’s security: verfassungsblog.de/tackling-orb...

OPINION: If the EU wants to influence aspiring autocrats on media freedom in countries hoping to join the bloc, it must first establish a strong culture of independent media within its own borders. 🔗 ow.ly/kJbB50VxYUI

The Court of BiH has sentenced Milorad Dodik to be barred from holding office. In response, he introduced a new constitution that challenges the authority of the Court. MAJA SAHADŽIĆ and MILOŠ DAVIDOVIĆ unpack this complex institutional and procedural standoff: verfassungsblog.de/bih-constitu...

According to Válasz Online, among other things, the United States is justifying the #tariffs imposed on the European Union by citing the extremely high risk of #corruption in Hungarian #publicprocurement. Guess the bromance between the orange varieties 🍊 is over?

Today, the bipartisan leadership of the US Helsinki Commission issued a statement responding to Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik's destabilizing and secessionist actions in Bosnia and Herzegovina.